When Flowers Blossom
by RainwaterFollies
Summary: Jackson and Ramona have been housemates for a little over three years, and have become the best of friends. They do their own thing, but always come back to each other for comfort when they're heartbroken. Something is different this time. Jackson is different. And not in a good way...at least not yet.
1. Chapter 1

When Flowers Blossom

Disclaimer: I do not own Fuller House. I just love this pairing and haven't found many stories out there of decent quality and wanted to try my hand. Enjoy, review, whatever!

Chapter One

It was a bright and sunny Sunday afternoon when Ramona lazily wandered downstairs for the first time that day in search of food. The first thing she noticed when she reached the bottom was that Max and Jackson were both sprawled out on the couch. They were currently arguing over who was going to get up and fast forward through the commercial of whatever it was they were watching.

"Good morning, weirdos." Ramona muttered as she walked past them towards the kitchen.

"Morning, zombie. When was the last time you brushed your hair?" Jackson immediately retorted. Ramona ignored this completely, knowing he was joking with her, and continued her hunt for something to eat. She reached her destination just moments later. The pantry was always stocked with teenager friendly snacks and such, one thing, among a vast majority of others, that Ramona was extremely grateful for.

"Hey, stranger." Kimmy Gibbler said, chipper as always. "You want me to make you anything? Grilled cheese, vegetable soup, spaghetti, anything you want?"

Ramona loved her mom. She was always willing to go the extra mile for her, even when she was so busy doing something amazing and super time consuming for someone else. She should be offering to cook something for _her._

"No, no. Can I make _you_ anything? You need to sit down, get off your feet. I'm sure you're exhausted."

"Quit fussing over me. You forget, when I was pregnant with _you, _I didn't have _you _to make me food all the time."

"No, but you had Dad, didn't you?"

"Eh, somewhat. I mostly cooked for him. He did rub my feet an awful lot though." She said in a sing song voice, sitting down and waving her feet suggestively.

"Oh, look at the time!" Ramona said, looking at her blank wrist, pretending she had a watch. "I gotta go get ready for...that thing." Suddenly she wasn't hungry anymore and she was barreling through the door back into the living room.

"You okay? You look like you've seen-"

Ramona cut Jackson off immediately and snapped, "I've seen something unpleasant and I'd rather not speak of it ever again." She then took off back to her cave to prepare for the next day. It just so happened to be her and Jackson's first day of junior year. She had somehow managed to publicly humiliate herself on the first day of both freshman and sophomore year. She was bound and determined to not screw it up this go around.

Grabbing her phone, Ramona sent a quick text to her friend Monique. Monique had been her girl best friend since the first day of freshman year. She had been part of the fun that ensued that day. Ramona and Monique both wanted to join the cheerleading squad, and both had been doomed to be the brunt of a cruel joke conducted by the head cheerleader, senior Madison Woods. She thought it'd be funny to pretend to let them in via a trial. They were made to wear 'specially designed' cheer skirts that just so happened to not be sewn together properly and were ripped off in front of what was probably most of the school.

Monique thankfully was a weirdo and had sported a jean jacket on her back and a plaid button up around her waist that day. She handed Ramona her plaid shirt to tie around her and pulled the jean jacket to cover herself. They then tore towards the locker room where Ramona's other now best friend was running towards them with their clothes. Jackson had witnessed the horror show and didn't find it funny at all. In fact, he had been infuriated. Of course, he was a puny freshman then too, so all he could do was help Ramona out the best he could, while staying away from the danger of humiliation himself.

Madison Woods had long since graduated, and Ramona and Monique were excited to be upperclassmen. Top dogs. So of course Ramona asked Monique to come over and help her pick out something to wear. She and her mom had done a little shopping here and there over the summer, so she had tons of new things. She just lacked the coordination for color and flow, that Monique had naturally acquired.

Her friend instantly replied that she was on her way. The two of them had both turned sixteen over the summer as well, and Monique's parents had scrounged up some money for a decent little Ford Taurus. Ramona hadn't gotten a car, but her parents had told her on her birthday that she'd have one by Christmas. That knowledge was a great gift in it's own, so she was content.

DJ had confided in her, knowing that she and Jackson had developed a pretty tight friendship, that she was getting him a Chevy S10 for his sixteenth birthday. It was still a little under two months until his birthday, and she needed to tell someone who wouldn't blab. Kimmy and Stephanie were great she-wolf pals, but neither one was good with secrets like this.

Ramona was happy for Jackson. He'd get to drive to school for most of the two years he had left. He'd get to be the big shot. Honestly, even when Ramona did have a car, she'd be too lazy to drive and just end up carpooling with Jackson.

Sat on her bed, in her own thoughts, the distinct sound of DJ shouting, "It's always open!" informed her of the arrival of her friend, and forced her back to reality. Monique said a quick hello to the Fuller family and made the familiar trek to Ramona's room.

"Hey girl!" She shouted, busting into the room and getting comfortable.

"What's up!" Ramona matched her friend's hyper tone.

"Everything and nothing. The usual. What on Earth happened in here, did a tornado hit?" She said exasperatedly, glancing around the room with a horrified expression on her face.

"Just trying to figure out what to wear tomorrow. Obviously I failed, which is kinda why you're here. Just saying."

"Of course. And I supposed I'm gonna be helping you organize this mess when we're through too?"

"Hadn't thought that far ahead actually, but most likely. Don't worry though, I'll feed you and stuff." They chuckled and spent the remainder of the afternoon sorting through the many piles of clothes and jamming to some of their favorite music. By the time DJ called for dinner, they had the perfect outfit picked out. A simple white tank top, with a purple and blue plaid button up over some dark blue jeans and some simple tan ankle boots. Her room was also much better organized, as Monique had a slight case of OCD.

Ramona was starving by this point, having had to skip out on a snack earlier. She and Monique made their way to the dinner table where there was a delicious feast of vegetable soup _and _grilled cheese.

"Guess you had a craving, mom?" Ramona joked.

"Actually, yes. Is this not okay?"

"No, it's perfect. I love veggie soup. That sound good Mo?"

"Oh yes. I've had it here before, it's one of my faves!"

"Good. Dig in girls!"

The girls were getting their bowls and settling down to eat when the show started. Jackson stormed into the kitchen, followed closely by DJ. She seemed to be in interrogation mode.

"What happened, Jackson? Why is that little...JERKFACE slapping you?" Ramona's head shot up at that.

"Who did what?" She rose from the table, abandoning her soup. "Jackson?"

"It's nothing. She only did it because you walked in the room, mom."

"Rocki, Ramona. Rocki slapped Jackson in the face and stormed out of the house."

"For the love of fudge, we broke up. On mutual terms."

Ramona was confused. As far as she knew, Rocki and Jackson had been in a steady relationship for...eight months? About as long as her mom had been pregnant.

"Why? You two have been all over each other for a long time. And if it was mutual then why did she slap you?" Ramona demanded to know, looking up at Jackson, who had grown so much over the three or so years they had been living together that he now towered over her by more than a foot.

"She slapped me to keep up appearances. She wants to look tough." He said, averting his eyes. The closer she looked, the more she saw how tired he was. She knew he'd been playing a lot of football over the summer, but that didn't take up that much of his time. It was probably Rocki's fault. She did demand a lot of his time. He was also the type of person to throw himself into his relationship, and give the girl anything and everything she wanted. Ramona wished she could find someone like that. Not necessarily that extreme, because she didn't think Jackson should kill himself for some girl who didn't deserve it, and she didn't want anyone doing that for her.

"Are you okay?" Ramona finally asked the question that should've been the first out of her mouth as his best friend. She felt guilty for prying, because he looked like he'd been through enough. She backed up a little, and gave him some space.

"I'm good. Just gonna go to bed." He said shortly, again looking anywhere but at her. Ramona was a little hurt and taken aback, but she nodded her head, and let him past to the stairs. She also stopped DJ from following him, and just assumed he needed a day or two to recuperate.

The family finished dinner, and Monique went home, with the promise of a mostly uneventful day to follow. Everyone calmed down for the night, and Ramona knew Jackson wasn't sleeping. She took on the duty of cleaning up after dinner, and fixed a bowl of soup to take up for him. Max had long since switched rooms to share with Tommy, claiming Jackson going through puberty was stressful to watch, and that he was the most responsible one in the house anyway. Tommy was in good hands.

Ramona gently knocked on the door, and heard a faint groan. She took that as a sign to enter, and pushed into the room. Jackson was laying facedown on his bed, still fully dressed.

"You sure you're alright? I don't mean to get into your business-"

"Then _don't_." Jackson said harshly, sitting up.

Ramona was shocked, once again, by his hostility towards her. She was still determined to be there for him however she could, but she didn't have to be nice about it.

Striding to his bedside table, she slammed the plate she'd made for him down on it. "I thought you might be hungry." She muttered viciously, giving him a pissed off look as she turned to leave the room.

"Thank you." He whispered in defeat, all traces of anger gone as she reached the door. She stopped, wanting to turn back but she kept walking. Straight to her room she marched, unaware that her friendship with Jackson from there on forward would be strained, awkward, uncomfortable, miserable, and incredibly upsetting. And she wouldn't understand why for months to come.

A/N: Next chapter to come with reviews, if you'd like me to continue this, leave a comment and let me know! :D  
I have many plans for this already stored in my brain!


	2. Chapter 2

DISCLAIMER: I OBVIOUSLY DO NOT OWN FULLER HOUSE.  
Also thank you for the reviews on chapter one, I'm going to continue the story, reviews or not, and just post chapters as I write them. If I happen to finish chapter 3 tonight, it'll be posted before bed! I also have a few time jumps planned, but not sure when they'll come into play. ENJOY!

Chapter Two

Ramona awoke early the next morning. She glanced over at her alarm and realized she still had a good two hours before Monique would be there to pick her up. Jackson had been promised a ride as well, but Ramona decided to subject him to riding the bus until his attitude improved.

She went ahead and began her normal school morning routine, thinking a head start would do her some good. It really did, because she ended up actually getting more than five minutes of hot water. Showered, dressed, and makeup on point, a satisfied Ramona made her way downstairs with around forty five minutes to spare.

The big joint family greeted her, and she joined in the feast. There was sausage, bacon, eggs, pancakes, and biscuits. The adults didn't mess around on the breakfast front, especially on the first day of school. Although some days, the kids were lucky to get a poptart thrown their way. Ramona didn't care. Food was food, and she was always excited for it. One could never tell by looking at her, five foot three and ninety pounds soaking wet, but she could out-eat three grown men. Hell, she'd done it on a few occasions.

The family was immersed in deep discussion about first day of school, Max freaking out over every last detail of his outfit, DJ fretting over his hair, and Stephanie snorting orange juice out of her nose as she and Kimmy made jokes about Max's buttons falling off of his sweater vest. He didn't find it very funny. Something was missing though.

Ramona realized with five minutes left that Jackson hadn't come down yet. She quickly put together a ziplock bag of sausage, bacon, and a biscuit and dropped it into her bag. Even if he was mad at her for some odd reason, he'd still be grateful she thought to grab him some breakfast. As much as he'd been training and working out for football, he needed to eat to keep his strength up. Breakfast _was_ the most important meal of the day.

A honking outside told her Mo had pulled up. Ramona kissed her mom quickly, wished everyone a good day, and headed into the living room. She hollered up to Jackson, taking back her earlier threat to make him ride the bus.

"Jackson? If you wanna skip the bus, you'd better hurry up!" She yelled. No response. "I'll have Mo wait, like, three minutes. Hurry up if you're coming!" With that, she took off out the door.

"Hey girl! You ready to try to get through this day?"

"Not quite. But at least I have you to suffer with me." Ramona sighed as she got into the passenger seat.

"And Jackson. Where is he?"

"Well I was going to make him ride the bus, because he's been a jerk to me for no reason since he and Rocki broke up last night. Then he never came down for breakfast. I yelled and told him he had three minutes or we were leaving before I walked out the door. He now has...one minute left." Monique gave her a weird look, taking in all of this new knowledge.

"He and Rocki...broke up?" She asked, confused. "But weren't they JUST caught making out in the locker room?"

"Uh, no. That was two months ago. Y'know...before summer? But yeah, I was shocked too. And now I don't even care, I'm just ticked off. I didn't do anything to him. I know that he's going through a break up, but he should let me help him get through it. Or tell me he needs space, not...just push me away." She finished quietly.

"You gonna be okay, girl?" A few moments of silence passed, and somehow Ramona just knew. Jackson wasn't going to be riding with them for a while. If ever.

"Yeah. Let's go." She replied sadly.

Ramona and Monique made it through the door and to their shared homeroom in a quick fashion. The teacher had already assigned them seats with the promise that once names were learned they could sit wherever they wanted. Monique ended up in the back, her last name being Watson. Ramona, being the only G in the class, ended up directly behind Jackson. There was one other F in the class, but she was in front of Jackson, her last name being Foster.

This was the perfect opportunity to slip Jackson his breakfast. She knew he hadn't had time to eat. The bus came exactly two minutes after Mo had pulled out of the driveway.

"Hey." She tapped on his shoulder.

"What?" He whispered, sounding down.

"I brought you something." Reaching into her backpack, she pulled the ziplock bag out and slipped it into his hand. "Thought you'd be hungry since you overslept." Ramona hoped he'd come out of his slump soon. And that maybe showing him she cared for him would get him to lay off a little.

"I'm not hungry. And I didn't oversleep." He said shortly, turning to fully face the front. He then leaned forward, effectively cutting off any chance for conversation, the ziplock bag still suspended in the air next to his shoulder.

Ramona felt like crying. Sure, she and Jackson hadn't been _that_ close when she moved in. But over the years, their frenemy stage blossomed into a full blown best friendship. They stayed up late watching movies, or binging tv shows, they shared their problems with one another, they argued over petty things, just like brother and sister...what was his sudden issue with her? As much as she hated to admit it, she _needed_ him. He was always there for her, and then suddenly...he wasn't.

She started to write him a note, but the bell rang, signaling first period. Thinking quickly, she scribbled something down, and shoved it into his open backpack along with the food and turned to gather the rest of her things. When she looked back however, he had already disappeared into a sea of teenagers in the hallway.

"Hey...I saw you and Jackson. He rushed out of here like he was on fire. What the fuck?" Mo asked, catching up to Ramona. The good news was that they had four out of six classes together. Bad news was that first period was not one of them.

"I don't know. We'll talk about it nex period though. Good luck!" Ramona shouted, getting dragged by all of the kids heading in the opposite direction.

"You too, boo!" Mo headed off toward English three, and Ramona let the mob float her down to the choir room.

The rest of the day, thankfully, passed by uneventfully. Ramona only had homeroom, gym, and English with Jackson, so she didn't have much of an opportunity to talk to him. Their English teacher was the same as the year before, so she let them sit where they wanted to. Jackson awkwardly waited until Ramona had taken a seat close to the front, and then sat two rows away at the very back. She ignored this, and mentally chose to give up on trying for a week or so. If he wasn't back to his old self by then, she'd be upset, but she'd move on. If he didn't want to talk to her, he didn't have to.

"Ramona? Dear, are you alright?" Mrs. Bolkcom asked, bringing Ramona out of the place she had been spending an awful lot of time: her head.

"Yes, ma'am. I'm sorry. Just a lot on my mind. What did you say?"

"Just doing roll call. Try to pay attention." Mrs. Bolkcom said sweetly, continuing down the list of names, calling out Jackson's a few after her.

"Here." He mumbled from his dark corner. Ramona took a sneak peek at him from her side of the room. He was looking down at the desk, completely disengaged from the world and what was going on around him. Anger may have been one of the top emotions she was feeling at that moment, but she was also extremely worried about her friend. She'd never seen him act like this, especially because of a _girl. _Rocki was nice-ish...But Lola was a hell of a lot nicer, and he didn't get nearly as upset when they broke up. Then again, he had only been about thirteen at the time.

Speaking of Rocki, Ramona didn't remember seeing her much that day. Come to think of it, she hadn't seen her at all. She didn't have to wonder whether that was because she hadn't been looking or whether it was because she wasn't there.

Sighing in relief as the final bell of the day rang, Ramona forced all thoughts of Jackson and Rocki out of her already overflowing mind, and took off for cheer practice. Tryouts had been switched to the end of the year instead of the first day to allow more time to train. She and Mo had both tried out and made it thanks to their extensive training in dance and gymnastics. The first three weeks of summer, they had been pushed to the max with hours and hours of drills, and cardio, and working out around the clock. They had gotten their month and a week long break, but they would regret not keeping up the routine after the first few sessions.

The girls met up on the track to get a few laps in. Ramona changed into shorts and a tank top and started her jog. She put in some headphones, knowing Monique wouldn't keep her pace. They'd both go back to one of their houses when practice was over, so it was okay.

Ramona turned on her current favorite song, 'Ocean Eyes' by Billie Eilish, and set a steady pace. As she came about her second time around, she glanced across the field where football practice was going on. Their first game was already fast approaching. Jackson had gotten fairly good. He wasn't the quarterback, but he had made his way up to cornerback, which was one of the most physically demanding positions on the whole team.

A shiny golden number four stood out among the rest of the players. She kept an eye on him as she continued her laps. The girls did their stretches, and practiced a few routine cheers, and pretty much had a chill day. Which was weird, but Ramona didn't complain. Being one of the smallest girls, Ramona was constantly being thrown in the air. She let her fellow cheerleaders toss her up one more time, staring off at the football field as they did so. There was no way to be sure, but she could've sworn Jackson was looking her way. She flew up into the air, and sent a wave in his direction as she plummeted back down into her friend's arms.

"I don't know why, but it's so much fun throwing you around." Ashlyn, one of the other cheerleaders said.

"It's because she's like a rag doll. I mean she moves on her own and stuff, and she poses when she's up there, but it's basically like throwing a pillow into the air." Another girl, Sandra, said in amazement.

"Yes, she's tiny and cute. You bitches can back off though, she's taken." Monique joked, throwing her sweat dripped arm around Ramona's shoulder. They all shared a laugh and wandered off towards the ladies' locker room for much needed showers, still talking and giggling about nothing in particular. That is, until one of them brought up the subject of football players.

"Them boys looked mighty..._hot_ over there. Didn't they?" Brydgette asked, fanning herself sarcastically.

"Oh lord, most definitely. Especially Shawn. He's looking pretty fine these days." Ashlyn agreed. They all went about their business, Ramona purposely avoiding the conversation. Until Jackson's name came up, that is.

"What about Fuller? I'd say he 'filled out' nicely. He used to be such a little dweeb, but I caught a look last year of him without a shirt, and MY GOODNESS." Ramona felt her face turn seven different shades of crimson. She finished undressing as fast as she could, and hopped in the shower. Somehow, the conversation continued despite her obvious discomfort.

"He's very cute. I think he has a girlfriend though."

"Oh, yeah. That Rocki chick. I don't think that'll last though. I hear she's into guy with..._experience,_ if you know what I mean. Plus, she's a year older than him."

"Right, yeah. He'll be on the market eventually. Just gotta wait a bit."

"Actually he is on the market. He and Rocki broke up yesterday. He'll probably need a while before he's ready to date again, so you still gotta wait, hyenas. And I guess you all forgot Ramona _lives _with this guy and all of you talking about him like he's a sex god is probably making her a bit uneasy. He's basically her brother." Monique to the rescue, as always.

Ramona sighed in relief. All the girls apologized and changed the subject. Well, they stayed on the same topic, they just switched which boy they were talking about.

"So, a brother, huh?" Sandra asked Ramona as she appeared from behind the curtain in a towel.

"Um. I guess." She replied.

"So...you wouldn't mind if I asked him out?"

Ramona thought about it for a moment. Obviously he could date whoever he wanted to, and Sandra wasn't bad looking. Her track record wasn't as pretty though. She definitely didn't want him to get his heart broken again, but he wasn't giving her the same courtesy of caring, so why should she give it to him?

"Fuck it, why not? He did _just_ break it off with Rocki last night, so wait...I don't know, a week? I'll let you know if he cheers up sooner but he's in a bad slump right now."

"Oh thank you! You're the best!" Sandra grabbed Brydgette and Ashlyn and bade her and Monique farewell. "See you bitches in the am!"

SPOILER WARNING: Jamona WILL happen. The main plot of this story revolves around their actual relationship, it just hasn't been written yet. Plus I'm a sucker for drama when it isn't my own, so of course there will be a lot of arguments and late nights for these two before they do get together. They're teenagers who have difficulty expressing their emotions, what else do you expect?

SPOILER WARNING 2.0: Ramona will be confronting Jackson a little in the next chapter so stay tuned!


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter Three

The next few weeks went by in a flash. Ramona was so busy with school and extracurriculars that she barely had enough time to shower, sleep, and eat, much less enough time to worry about fixing things with Jackson. They had gotten to have a somewhat decent/completely horrible talk/fight one night when DJ had tasked the pair with cleaning the kitchen after dinner.

"So...what's been up with you lately?" Ramona said casually, taking a brave stab at communicating with the boy as they stood side by side at the sink, Ramona rinsing the dishes off, and Jackson loading them into the dishwasher.

"What do you mean?"

"I mean what the hell has been up with you? We haven't had a real conversation in over a month."

"I don't know what you're talking about. We've talked."

"Bull."

"I-"

"Stop lying to me, Jax. Hand me that sponge please."

"Ramona, I'm not lying. There's nothing _going on_ with me." He raised his hand and did a dramatic air quote.

"Yes, there is." She snapped, snatching the sponge from him. "Something is bothering you, or something pissed you off..." The anger faded from her voice. "Are you depressed? Please just talk to-"

"For the last time, I said I. Am. Fine. I just got a lot on my plate, with school and football and I know you got stuff going on too. Why are you always trying to get into _my _business? Worry about your own. Butt out." Jackson spat out at her, finally looking her in the eye for the first time in about almost a month. It was only for half a second, but she saw it. There was so much pain in his eyes. It was just a flicker, and then it was gone.

Nothing had come of Sandra asking him out. Although Sandra was a bit colder towards Ramona as of late. She also seriously doubted Rocki left this effect on him.

She was too clouded in her own anger and frustration towards him to address his sadness this time, so instead she dropped the sponge in the sink and started walking towards the stairs. At the bottom she paused, and turned back towards him. He was leaning against the counter, head in hands.

"Y'know...there was a time when my business _was _your business. And yours was mine." She whispered, rushing upstairs and leaving him to finish cleaning the kitchen alone.

Another week or so went by with zero communication between the two. Jackson made sure of that, it seemed. He was out the door before she came downstairs, and he was in bed when she got home. If she got home before him, he snuck into his window. It was starting to drain Ramona, emotionally, mentally, and even physically. She couldn't for the life of her understand why he was acting this way towards her, or why it hurt so bad. All she wanted was her best friend back.

It had begun to take effect on her schoolwork. Instead of straight A's, she was bringing home A's and B's. That wasn't as bad as it could've been, but she cried when she brought home her first B. It was all Jackson's stupid fault too. She was now behind on schoolwork, dance routines, cheer routines, _and _all of the shows she and Jackson watched together. She wouldn't watch it without him, so at least two shows started new seasons that she completely missed out on.

Finally, one day, the whole family was brought together for one special moment. The birth of Stephanie's daughter. Jackson and Ramona were among the last to know, and Monique ended up having to drive the two of them, as neither one of them had a vehicle yet.

"Thank you so much, Mo. I can't wait to see the baby!" Ramona squealed.

"I know, me either! Your whole family is so cute!"

"Technically it's not all her family." Jackson chimed from the backseat, where he was looking very uncomfortable.

"Okay, and? You all live in the same house, and have for...what, three years? You're one big happy family! Moms, dads, aunts, uncles, cousins, brothers, and sisters galore!" Monique shouted ecstatically.

"We're...not related." Jackson reiterated. His words stung, but Ramona remained quiet the rest of the way. He had _called _her family not too long ago. A year, maybe. And he had hugged her like a sister.

"Okay, bruh. Whatever you want. Zip it." Monique snapped, as she turned the radio up. She knew how hard of a time Ramona had been having. She was a great friend.

They finally arrived at the hospital. It had been an uncomfortable drive, but they made it. The three of them made their way to L&D to find Kimmy. They found out she had already had the baby, and it was a girl! They named her Myleigha Rose Gibbler. Ramona was immediately smitten with her new little cousin and spent a good hour just making faces at her from Stephanie's shoulder.

"Oh my goodness, Steph, you and Mrs. Kim and Jimmy did so good! She's beautiful!" Monique fawned over the tiny child just as much as Ramona.

"Thank you! We know, though!" Stephanie joked.

Everyone had a pretty good time welcoming the newest addition to the family. Ramona noticed that at one point, even Jackson had smiled. She caught his eye from across the room as he was holding Myleigha. For reasons unknown, butterflies erupted into her stomach when he gave her the first genuine smile in she didn't know how long. She felt a little like crying, but it wasn't the right time for that.

"She's gonna keep me up all night isn't she?" Max wondered aloud. Everyone laughed, and assured him the only people she'd be keeping up were Stephanie and Jimmy. It seemed, for a moment that everything would be okay. It actually _would _be okay...for everyone but Ramona.

A few months had passed, and Myleigha had been a very welcome addition to the ever growing Tanner-Fuller-Gibbler house. Jackson's birthday had been a fun little shindig. It seemed that he was slowly crawling out of whatever hole Rocki had thrown him into. Ramona was still very upset with him, but she was at least happy to see him smile and act like himself again. She was seeing a change in him for the better.

The dinner table was no longer the only place she saw him. He was joining breakfast with the family again, hanging out on the couch, responding when Ramona spoke to him. He still wasn't looking her in the eye or initiating conversation himself, but hey. A start was a start.

After his birthday had come and gone, he got used to driving himself everywhere, and was rarely home. His mom had been right, the truck was a mood lifter. Ramona had hoped without much conviction that he'd offer to take her to school. But he never did. She'd begun to wonder if their friendship had effectively ended. If it had, she wasn't sure she'd be okay.

The days dragged on and on, and soon, Christmas Break was approaching. This was something Ramona was very excited for. The fact that she wouldn't have to worry about school for a while, (Fall Break had been a joke, she'd had sooooo much homework) and she could just relax in her pjs and hide in her room for as long as she wanted was the only thing keeping her sane.

The last Monday before break, Ramona was walking towards the gym, alone. Monique had Physics, and Ramona only had a few other friends, none of which were in Gym with her. Jackson was, but she had practically become numb to his existence. In the few months since he'd been on the road, he seemed to be gone more and more. She never knew where he went, he was almost always late for curfew, and he never looked like he had been having fun. In fact, he usually had huge bags under his eyes, like he never slept.

Today was no different. Ramona had gone to the locker room, changed, and already taken her seat on the floor for stretches. She barely took notice when Jackson walked in, five minutes late. That was, until she saw he had been escorted by the school security officer.

"I believe you're missing a student, Ms. Carpenter." The officer said.

"Yes, thank you, Calvin. Mr. Fuller, go get changed and hurry to your spot." Jackson did as he was told, looking sullen. After their warm ups were over, Ms. Carpenter decided to give them an easy day and had them walk laps around the gym. Ramona quickly jogged to Jackson's side, and matched his pace.

"Jax, what was that about?" She asked, concerned.

"I tried to ditch...don't tell my mom please. The principal let me off with a warning, but I really can't deal with my mom."

"Of course not. Scout's honor." The only reason Ramona wasn't going to tell DJ was because of how visibly stressed out he was. She kept walking with him, enjoying his simple presence. Curiosity got the best of her after five minutes, however.

"Why were you ditching?"

"I can't tell you."

"Why?"

"Ramona, please."

"No, every time we begin a conversation that's remotely serious, you try to run away from it. Talk to me, damn it!"

"Hey, sorry to interrupt, Golden Toe." This kid named Jeremy walked up, beaming. "May I borrow your stunning walking partner for just a moment?"

"Uh, I guess?" Jackson answered, confused.

"If you're talking about me, I AM capable of speaking for myself." Said Ramona, crossing her arms. Jeremy was literally the hottest guy in school. He was a senior this year, and captain of the football team.

"Okay, will you walk with me for a minute. I need to ask you something." He said sweetly, flashing his brilliant smile again.

Ramona groaned. "I guess." She mimicked Jackson's earlier remark.

The two of them slowed their pace so they were at what could've been the back, the middle, or the front of the line. No one could be sure.

"What do you want, Jeremy?" Ramona immediately asked.

"Go out with me tomorrow." He answered, not missing a beat. That shocked her. Sure, she knew she wasn't ugly, but she felt as if she was just average. Maybe a step below. And here was the most popular boy in school asking her out? Something was up.

"Why?"

"Because I like you."

"You don't know me."

"I know what Jackson has told me." Ramona froze. What had Jackson told him? "Don't worry, he hasn't said anything bad. Just little things here and there. About how he's been an ass to you a lot, but you still do things for him, and make sure he eats, make sure he's okay. Just like a sister."

"Well that's the goal. Did he happen to mention _why _he's been acting like such a jerk?" She asked, attempting to sound casual, but her insides were burning with desire to understand.

"No, didn't come up. I assumed it was just a one or two time thing. How long has it been going on?"

"Uh...well. Carry the two..." She muttered. "Four months?"

"Damn, what'd you do? Piss in his cheerios, kill his cat, kick him in the dick?"

"That's just it. I don't know."

"How about I ask him, casually of course, and in exchange you go out with me." Ramona thought about it. What was the worst that could happen? A cute boy wanted to take her out. Who was she to turn that down? The last person she had dated she was probably never going to hear from again and technically they had never even really broke up.

"Fine. But you gotta ask him first. Maybe bring it up in conversation while you ask him if it's okay if you take me out. On the field or something."

"Done. I'll do it this afternoon." He grinned wide, feeling like he won.

"Thanks. But we can't go out tomorrow. It's Tuesday. Saturday?"

"Perfect. Can't wait." Jeremy winked at her and jogged off to catch up with his jock friends.

Suddenly, Ramona had a bad feeling about going on a date with him. She hoped it was just nerves, but once it was over with, she could just go back to pretending he didn't exist. Putting all thoughts of Jeremy out of her mind, she glanced around the gym in an attempt to spot Jackson. He had started walking with some girl she didn't recognize. She could've easily gone and joined them, but for some reason the idea made her uneasy. He was deep in conversation with the chick, who was gorgeous by the way. For some reason, Ramona felt like crying. She'd felt that way a lot lately, when it came to Jackson. She was jealous. Not because he might be into this girl, but because he was speaking so freely with her.

A wave of horror struck Ramona. Slowly, she raised her hand to her cheek. One after the other, tears were streaming down her face. And if that weren't bad enough, Jackson had probably felt her staring at them because he took that exact moment to glance her way. She gasped and turned away, running towards the locker room. She dressed quickly, and ran out the door. She made a split decision to skip her last two classes, and just took off towards the exit. She escaped the building, running at a pace she hadn't done since she ran track a few years ago. Down the sidewalk, around the building, and off towards the highway, she ran. She didn't stop running until she was at the end of her street. Then she stopped dead in her tracks, realizing she was supposed to be in school for another two hours. Not missing another beat, she turned on her heel and ran to her favorite thinking space.

There was a lake, with a bridge in the middle, and a sidewalk encircling it just a few blocks from their house. Off the sidewalk a ways, and into the woods, there was a passage to a small ledge overlooking a vast valley. That was where she needed to be. To clear her mind, because she was going insane. So she ran, and ran until she finally reached the ledge. Only then did she stop. She fell to the ground and cried.

A/N: Just felt like it was getting a little long, and wanted to get something out there. Thinking I might go up to 3,000 word chapters or so, and try to keep it at that. Next chapter is going to be...JUICY. Promise!


	4. Chapter 4

Well this is quite a bit longer than I expected it to be. Also, I've had a lot of medical issues lately, on top of a close friend of mine passing away. I've been meaning to upload forever, I just haven't been in the right mindset to sit down and write. But now I've FINALLY finished at least this chapter. I've been wanting to get to this part of the story I have in my head for a long time, and I hope you guys like it!

DISCLAIMER: If I owned Fuller House, you'd know it. It'd be amaze balls if they put Jackson and Ramona together. They're soooo cute!

Chapter Four

Ramona was exhausted. She had ran a pretty great distance in a short amount of time. She had also done a whole lot of ugly crying. Finally, the front door came into view. Ramona was visibly drained, and very sad. Jackson and her mother met her at the door.

"Where the hell have you been young lady?" Kimmy screamed, her cell phone and the landline in her hands. Jackson stood behind her, looking quite disheveled.

"I went for a walk." Ramona whispered lamely.

"For FIVE hours? Do you understand how WORRIED we've all been? If you need or want to go somewhere, you know we have no problem with it, but we'd like to be informed, Ramona. You should've called me." Tears were now rolling down her face, and Ramona felt like shit.

"I'm sorry mom." Her voice cracked. She tried as hard as she could, but she couldn't stop her own tears from leaking out. Her mom must've seen something on her face, something that told her she'd had enough of a bad day, and didn't really need a berating right then.

"Don't be. Just...next time, call me." Her mother pulled her into a tight hug. Ramona hugged her back, finally taking a moment to look at Jackson as she did so. His hair was a mess, like he'd been running his fingers through it over and over again. His eyes were shining, a mixture of relief and anguish on his face.

"Are you okay?" He mouthed. She nodded her head and gave him a weak smile, even though 'okay' couldn't be further from what she was feeling at that particular moment. He didn't smile back, just continued to look at her sadly. A few moments passed, and he dropped his gaze as her mom finally dropped her arms.

"You hungry, baby? We made spaghetti for dinner. It's been sitting out for a while, but I'm sure it's still good. I can make you a bowl."

"No, thank you. I'm not really hungry. I think I'm just gonna go to bed. I'm really really tired. I love you, though. And I'm so sorry."

"I love you, too, sweetie. Get some rest." Kimmy hugged her tight one last time, and watched as Ramona sluggishly walked up the stairs.

She had just gotten to her room, and was turning to close the door when Jackson appeared in the doorway.

"Hey..." He said hesitantly.

"Hey."

They stood there awkwardly for a few moments, unable to meet each other's gaze.

"Is there a reason you came in here?" Ramona asked impatiently, unable to bear the silence any longer.

"Yeah...I just... Look, about earlier..." He started. He sighed loudly, running his fingers through his hair for what must've been the thousandth time that day.

"Yes?"

He looked for a moment as if he was contemplating something.

"You know Jeremy?" Ramona froze.

"Yeah...what about him?" She was hoping Jeremy had convinced him to tell her why he'd been so cold to her. Or to at least make amends and put their relationship back in order.

"He asked me if it was okay if he takes you out this weekend." Ramona waited, but he didn't say anything else. He just looked at her with a blank expression on his face.

"Okay?"

"Is it?"

"I mean, I guess. Unless you can think of any reason why I shouldn't go." Something dark flashed across his face, but it was gone in an instant.

"Well he can be a dick sometimes, but he's an overall good guy. At least he seems to be." He answered nonchalantly.

"Okay then. Looks like I have a date. Was there anything else you needed?" She knew she was being a little bitchy, but after all these months of him acting like a complete asshat, she didn't really care.

He opened his mouth, and then shut it quickly, biting his lip. Another deep breath left him, as he whispered, "No." Without another word, he turned around and walked across the hall to his room, shutting the door behind him.

Ramona felt another wave of sadness rush over her, and more tears. She wiped them away harshly, determined to not let him affect her so deeply anymore. Sure he had been her best friend, even more so than Mo, for years. But time had shown that that was no longer the case on his end. She knew she had lost him. It hurt as badly as if he had died.`But she had to put herself and her mental health first. He'd already driven her so crazy, causing her grades to drop, and her social life to all but cease to exist. No more, though. She knew she had a long road ahead of her, but she was a fighter.

She was ready to let go, and heal. Sighing deeply, she closed her door, and began to get ready for bed. After changing into some shorts and a tank top, she went and brushed her teeth, grabbed her phone, and then laid down for the night. As tired as she was, she wasn't quite ready for bed yet. Monique was likely still up, and Ramona had so much to fill her in on.

After a long week of school, and excruciatingly long end of semester testing, the weekend finally arrived. Ramona wasn't too thrilled, as she was dreading her date with Jeremy. He claimed to have spoken to Jackson, but apparently he didn't get any answers. She pretended not to care anymore, but if she was being honest with herself, she most certainly did. However, her new attitude towards the whole situation forced her to grasp a new perspective, and she let him get away with half assing his part of the deal. She really didn't mind too much. A free meal, or movie, or whatever he was taking her to do would at least keep her occupied. Perhaps, if things went well, she'd have a distraction for the whole break.

That thought in mind, she walked downstairs Saturday morning with a chipper attitude, something her family obviously hadn't seen in a while.

"Hey, there's my favorite girl!" Fernando exclaimed. He ran and engulfed her in a hug.

"Good morning to you too, Papa." She mumbled, her words muffled by his chest. "Are you okay?"

"Yes, mija. I'm just so happy to see a smile on your face for a change."

"So am I, it's been way too long." Her mother chimed in. "So what'll it be for breakfast? French toast, eggs and bacon?"

"Why are you guy always trying to fatten me up?"

"So the boys will stay away from you!" Fernando instantly retorted.

"Too late for that, I have a date tonight. And as for breakfast, I think I'll just go with a good old fashioned bowl of cereal." Ramona laughed.

"Oooh, that's why you're all smiley today." Kimmy teased, while Fernando went into attack dog mode.

"Who is this boy? Have we met him? How old is he? What's his name? Is he still in school? What-"

"Would you like a copy of his birth certificate and his social security number? Jeez, Papa, relax. We're just friends. If you can even go so far as to call us that. Depending on how tonight goes, we'll see if you need to even bother meeting him. Okay?"

Seeing how disinterested she really was calmed him down. It also made him curious.

"Why are you going on this date, if you do not really want to?"

"Well I kinda have to. I asked him to do something in exchange, and even though he screwed up on his end, I'm not that kind of person. And who knows, I may actually end up liking this guy. He likes me, or he wouldn't have asked me out in the first place."

"Well okay...as long as you're careful. We don't want you to get hurt. You're growing up, and while we know you're certainly mature enough and capable enough to stand your own ground, you'll always be our baby girl. We're _going_ to worry about you." Her mother said sweetly.

"And you know you can always come to us if you need something, right mija?" Her dad added.

"Of course. I love you guys."

"Love you too, sweetheart. Alright, you enjoy your cereal. Your father is helping me with a client today, so we'll be gone all day. What time are you leaving?" Kimmy asked as she busied herself with gathering her things.

Ramona thought about it for a minute, and realized he'd never given her a time. Nor did she have his number.

"Actually, that's a good question. I have no idea." She answered.

"Oh, well you might want to figure that out." Her father said sarcastically.

"I know, I know."

"Well just in case we aren't home by the time you leave, I really hope you have a wonderful time. Who knows, maybe this is my future son in law." Her mother beamed at her, and leaned to place an audibly sloppy kiss on her cheek. "Love you dear. Bye!" She shouted, dragging Fernando out the door as she left.

"Bye!"

She wiped her cheek, and pulled her phone out. Facebook stalking away, she didn't even notice Jackson come downstairs. Or at least she pretended not to notice. He made quick work of making himself some breakfast, and went to head out the back door with it.

Having surprisingly no luck in her search, Ramona reluctantly stopped him.

"Hey, Jackson I have a quick question."

"Yeah?" He sighed, hand suspended above the doorknob.

"Does Jeremy not have a Facebook?" She asked, eyes still glued to her phone.

"Not anymore. He got hacked last week, and hasn't gotten around to making a new one yet. Or he may still be trying to get his old one back. I don't know. Why?"

"Cause I'm supposed to be going on a date with this guy tonight, but I don't know what time, if he's coming to get me or if I'm supposed to meet him anywhere...and I also apparently have no way to contact him. Do you have his number?"

"He and I don't really hang out much, aside from at practice and games, so no."

"Damn."

"Wait, hang on." He said as he pulled out his phone. "I think Asher may have put all the guys in a group message the day of the last game." Silence ensued for a moment as he scrolled through his messages. "Yeah, here it is." He strolled over to where she sat, and slid his phone across the counter. She copied the number, and held his phone back out to him.

"Thanks."

Hesitantly, he took it back from her, brushing his hand against hers as he did so.

What should have been just a normal exchange, turned into an eerily quiet stare off. It was the first physical contact they'd had in months. While it may have seemed small, the impact was huge. In Ramona's eyes, it was progress. In Jackson's eyes...well Ramona couldn't tell, for he had abruptly turned and rushed out the door, abandoning his hot pocket on the table.

"Well that was weird." Ramona said aloud, to no one in particular, going back to her cereal and trying to ignore the tingling sensation she now had in her hand.

"What's weird?" Stephanie asked, carrying Myleigha upstairs from the basement, (aka her bedroom).

"Oh, just Jackson." She responded.

"Ah. What else is new?"

"Haha, right?"

"What's been up with you guys lately?" Stephanie inquired, sitting Myleigha down in her high chair, and making ridiculous faces at her. "Y'all used to be so tight. I can't remember the last time I saw the two of you hanging out. Come to think of it, I can't remember the last time I saw the two of you speaking to each other."

"I really have no idea. One day we were fine, the next...we weren't." She went on to tell Stephanie everything that had happened the past few months. Steph had been so busy with the new baby, she hadn't really had the time to observe the teenage behavior in the house. Ramona couldn't blame her for that. "I've tried several times, and several different ways to find out why, but he just always changes the subject. Or walks away. Or starts a fight. Or I start a fight. It's all very confusing, but I've kind of just given up. Moved on." She shrank under Stephanie's scrutinizing look. She was so good at seeing through people.

"Okay, maybe I haven't, but I'm trying to." Ramona confessed.

"You shouldn't give up on him just yet. I'm not just saying that because he's my nephew or anything either, cause truth be told, I love you just as much as I love him. And it makes me wanna kick his ass hearing that all this mess is his fault. It sounds like you blame yourself a little, but from everything I've heard, you haven't done anything wrong. Unless you've left something out, which I assume you haven't?"

"Nope. Nothing." Ramona sighed sadly. She picked up the baby food Steph had sat on the counter and started feeding Myleigha again, partly to help her out, but mostly to avoid seeing her expression of pity.

"Would you like me to talk to him for you?" That was exactly why Ramona loved Steph. She was always willing to help out, but she did it in a way that wasn't too invasive. Instead of forcing her way or inviting herself into a situation that wasn't necessarily her business, she asked if there was anything she could do to help.

"No...I think, whatever this is, we need to figure it out ourselves. Even if it takes years... I appreciate you offering though. And for talking me through all of this. It means more to me than you'll ever know."

"Of course, darlin. I'm always here for you." She said sincerely, patting her arm. "I know I haven't been much, lately, but it's been so hard to do just about anything." Steph exhaled loudly.

"Being a mom is tough work, huh?" Ramona asked.

"Yeah, just a wee bit..." Steph said, holding up her fingers in a way that showed it was indeed anything but wee. The two of them laughed together, and then went on about their day.

"MO! For literally the eighth time, quit flipping. I'm not even sure I like this guy. I'm not too worried about my outfit. I look cute already, right?" Ramona said sarcastically, striking a ridiculous pose in her sweats from the night before.

"Yes, but don't you want to look hot?"

"Not particularly."

"Why not?"

"I already said- Have you just not been listening?"

"Yes, but...I'm sorry I just don't understand. Jeremy is LITERALLY the hottest guy...to ever exist."

"Then why don't you go out with him?"

"Because he asked YOU out."

"Good point."

The repetitive bickering continued, on and on until finally the doorbell rang. Monique squealed, and began jumping up and down. Ramona came back from the bathroom a half second later, having just finished showering, applying her makeup, and doing her hair. She changed with lightning speed, and did a little twirl for Mo.

"Well...how do I look?" She asked, a little self consciously. Her hair was in a long, messy braid hanging over her shoulder, and she was sporting a lovely dark red v neck top, with white jeans and some red flats to tie her outfit together. She'd also donned a pretty silver locket, that had been Steph's when she was younger.

"Girl, you don't give yourself nearly enough credit. You are one sexy mamacita, and Jeremy is going to die when he sees you. He may actually burst into flames." Mo spewed in admiration.

"Oh, PLEASE!" Ramona snorted as she pulled her jacket on. "You're going to make me ruin my makeup."

"I'm serious, Ramona. You look absolutely stunning. At the very least, his jaw will drop. You'll render him speechless. I'm almost speechless."

"Obviously not, you keep speaking. And no offense, but it's pretty much entirely impossible for you to be quiet." She laughed.

"How RUDE." Monique joked, feigning insult, causing her and Ramona to both double over in laughter at the not too subtle poke at Stephanie.

"Oh, RAMONA! Your DATE is here. And has BEEN here for, like, an hour." Echoed Max's voice, in exaggeration.

"I'm coming!" She called back. "Thanks for everything, Mo." After grabbing her purse, and applying some last minute lip gloss, she turned and gave her friend a quick but tight hug.

"Well of course. I'm just as excited as I'd be if this was my date." Mo said in a jittery voice, and beaming at her.

"Good, you can be excited for the both of us."

"Ugh, put some pep in your step, woman! This ain't gonna go anywhere unless you decide that you want it to. If you go into this acting like you can't wait for it to be over, then that's exactly what it's going to be. OVER."

"RAMONA! I'M NOT A BUTLER." Max hollered impatiently.

"I NEVER ASKED YOU TO BE, I'M COMING!" Ramona rolled her eyes. "I'll do my best. You staying the night, or...?"

"No, I was going to. But I forgot my mom needs me to babysit tonight. I'm not leaving til you do though. For once, I don't plan on embarrassing you." She smirked. "Although I will be needing ALL the deets as SOON as you get home."

"Girl, you already know you'll be the first person I call. Love ya!"

"Love you more! Now go, go." Mo ushered her out the door. "Poor Max probably has been making awful small talk with him for about ten minutes or so now."

"Yeah...or telling stories about me that he shouldn't..." At that thought, Ramona tore down the stairs. Jeremy was all casual, sitting on the couch, patiently waiting and watching a rerun of Blue Bloods with Max.

"Hey, sorry it took so long. I was talking to Monique." Ramona announced herself cooly.

"No problem, I actually love this episode. And this little dude isn't bad company." Jeremy responded, ruffling Max's perfectly kempt hair as he stood up.

"See ya, Max! Don't wait up."

As the two of them stepped out onto the porch, Jeremy looked her up and down slowly.

"Damn, Gibbler. You clean up nice." He said, eying her a little too long for her comfort.

"Uh," She cleared her throat. "Thank you. You...too?" He was wearing a pair of light denim jeans, a John Cena shirt that had what appeared to be a mustard stain on it, some brown work boots, and a yellow leather jacket.

_At least something matches, _Ramona thought to herself, her eyes lingering on the mustard stain. He remained unphased.

"So, where are we going?" She asked as they strolled down the driveway to his tiny red mustang. He rushed to her side, and opened the door for her, which admittedly shocked her a bit. "Thanks."

"Welcome." Jeremy quickly hopped to his side of the truck and got in. "It's a surprise."

"I don't like surprises."

"Do you like movies?"

"Who doesn't?"

"Weirdos. Are you a weirdo?" He inquired, jokingly. She had to admit, the banter was fun. Reminded her a bit of her and Jackson. She quickly shook him out of her head though. Tonight was about having fun, blowing off steam. If Jackson was on her mind, she couldn't do that.

"A little bit." She admitted waggling her eyebrows at him. "Does that bother you?"

"No, as long as you're not a weirdo who doesn't like movies." He laughed, putting his truck in gear.

"I'm not. Just a regular one." She smiled widely at him.

"Good."

The pair ended up going to the drive in, something Ramona had always wanted to do, but for some reason just hadn't. They had tickets for two movies, and the first one just so happened to be a new horror movie she'd been dying to see. She didn't want to admit it to herself, but as they were walking back to his car from the concession booth, arms ladened with hot dogs and chili cheese nachos, she couldn't help but feel her spirit lift amidst the light conversation. She was genuinely having a good time. That was...until Jeremy started getting handsy.

At first, it was okay. He had stretched his arm across the back of his seat after they finished eating, his fingers grazing her shoulder. She didn't mind, as she figured he may not have even noticed he was touching her. His eyes were transfixed on the screen in front of them, and he appeared to be very into the movie, so she didn't really give it a second thought.

About a quarter into the second movie, however, she noticed he had gotten closer. A lot closer. She was a bit uncomfortable, but she didn't want to hurt his feelings so she didn't say anything. Then, as she was turning her head to tell him she needed to go use the restroom, he tried to kiss her. Maybe she had given mixed signals, maybe he just assumed she was turning her head to kiss him, or maybe he was just used to moving fast. Ramona couldn't be sure. Either way, the kiss felt weird, and forced. She didn't pull away at first, because again, she didn't want to hurt his feelings.

But the more she tried to politely pull away, the deeper he tried to make the kiss. It got to the point where she was literally trying with all her might to push him off of her. But being the tiny person she was, and him being the giant _he_ was, she had no such luck. He had to know what she was trying to do, and the fact that he was blatantly ignoring her struggles sent her into panic mode.

Finally he removed his lips from hers, and moved them to her neck as he moved his hands down to her waist, keeping a firm grip on her.

"Jeremy, stop. I'm not enjoying this, I'm very very uncomfortable and you need to stop NOW." She pleaded. Again, he ignored her, bringing one hand down to her leg, and one up to her shoulder moving the strap of her tank top down. She deeply regretted taking off her jacket now, as she realized in horror that he had probably turned the heat up so high so she'd do just that.

"Come on, just give in to it. I know you like me, and I like you." He whispered as he nibbled on her earlobe, sending chills down her spine, and not in a good way.

"Did I ever ONCE say I liked you? No. I've asked you to STOP. If you liked me, you would." She attempted to push him off again. Suddenly, her butt started to vibrate. Someone was calling her.

"Hey, my phone is ringing. It could be my mom or somebody. Will you stop groping me for two seconds so I can answer it?"

Jeremy huffed in frustration, and leaned back in his seat. He pulled his own phone out of his pocket, and as nonchalant as shit, started playing a game. Ramona was frozen in shock for a second, then she grabbed her stuff and immediately got out of the car. Ignoring her phone, she started running until she got to the concession booth. Finally leaning against a wall trying to catch her breath, she pulled her phone out to see who had called her. It had been Monique. She quickly scrolled through the ten messages she had sent her, all of them saying pretty much the same thing, which was that she had something extremely important to tell her, and she needed to call her ASAP.

She pushed speed dial three, attempting to call Jackson first. After waiting for several rings, it went to voicemail. Ramona hung up and immediately hit redial. Again, she got no answer. She sent him a quick text that read, "Dude, I need you to call me please! It's important."

After another few minutes, she gave up and hit speed dial seven. Mo answered on the first ring.

"GIRL! Where are you?" Mo screamed hysterically.

"I'm at the drive in. I need you to come pick me up."

"Okay, I'm on my way. Tell me you aren't with Jeremy anymore?" The worry in her voice caught Ramona off guard. She hadn't said a word to her yet about what happened.

"I'm not, he's a pig. Why?"

"Because I took my brother out for a milkshake, and who else could I have seen but Jeremy's pigheaded football friends. All laughing and making bets about whether or not Jeremy could or would get into your pants tonight. I marched straight over there and slapped every single one of them. They said...they said they picked you, because apparently you're gullible." Ramona's heart sunk into her chest. So...Jeremy didn't like her. She was just a pawn for a stupid bet.

"Are...are you okay, girl?" Mo said after a few seconds of silence. "I'm about ten minutes out."

"Alright. I'm about to get a really cold, icy drink and go throw it at him. I'll see you soon."

"Okay. Good luck, and be careful! If you get the chance, kick him in the dick."

Ramona hung up, and sighed. The night had certainly taken a turn. She walked up to the guy behind the counter, and got the stickiest, slushiest drink they had. In the largest cup they had. The guy had been sympathetic to her story, and refused to take her money for it.

"Thanks, dude. You're awesome!" She said, tossing the money she was gonna pay for it with into the tip jar. Ramona then marched towards where Jeremy's car had been, her expression one of determination. Honestly, she was surprised he was still sitting there. She knocked on the driver's side window, and he rolled it down immediately, a shocked smile on his face.

"The nerve..." Ramona muttered, rolling her eyes. She then plastered a sarcastic smile on her face, and threw the drink on him as hard as she could. His smile quickly faded, and without giving him time to react, she turned and peeled off towards the exit. Mo was already waiting for her.

"Hey, thank you so much." Ramona said sincerely, as she put on her seat belt. "I can't believe that JERK."

"I know! I called you as soon as I finished grilling his friends. I'm so sorry about this." Mo gave her a tight hug before she drove off. "What did he do?"

"Thankfully he didn't get to do much, but I wouldn't have been able to stop him if he tried. Your phone call was what saved me. He was touching me and kissing me even though I was telling him to stop."

"Are you KIDDING me? Oh my gosh, just wait until Jackson finds out. He's going to flip his shit."

"Momo! That's a bad word!" Mo's six year old brother called from the back.

Ramona jumped. "Oh, goodness. Hey, there Rodney." She said quickly.

"Hey, Ray Ray!"

"Sorry, Rodney. His poop. He'll flip his poop."

Ramona remained quiet after that, thinking. Would he really, though? Jackson hadn't shown much interest in her or her life in the last few months. He'd told her to go for it with Jeremy. He'd given her Jeremy's number. He was on the football team. Had he been in on it, had he known? The very thought made Ramona's blood boil with anger. She was going to read him for filth when she got home.

"Girl, are you okay? I've asked you that a few times and you still haven't answered me. It's kind of worrying me." Mo said, giving her sidelong glances as she tried to keep her eyes on the road.

"I'm...feeling a lot of things right now. I'm shaken up, definitely. But I'm also irritated...pissed, I mean peeved off. Upset. Confused. Afraid."

"Afraid? Of what? He can't hurt you, or take advantage of you again. I promise, I ain't letting him anywhere near you ever again."

Ramona paused a moment, sighed, and verbalized her main concern. "I'm afraid Jackson might've known." She whispered sadly.

"Oh." Mo went silent after that. Jackson had been a touchy subject for a long time. She hadn't even considered that he may have been in on it. Ramona did live with him after all, he could've been feeding Jeremy information this whole time. At one point in time, she and Ramona wouldn't have believed it possible for him to do such a thing. The fact that they even _could_ considering it was devastating to both of them.

Finally, they arrived at Ramona's house. Mo had offered to come in with her, but it was already after eleven. Rodney needed to go to bed, and Ramona needed to yell at Jackson. They said their goodbyes, and Ramona marched up to the door. Thankfully, no one was in the living room, so she snuck up to her room so she could change. She threw on some purple and blue plaid pajama shorts, and a matching purple tank top. Feeling much better, she replaced her braid with a messy bun and stomped across the hall. After politely knocking on his door, and receiving no answer, she turned the knob and slammed the door open.

Jackson was sitting at his desk, phone in hand, and had the audacity to appear taken aback at her presence.

"Are you KIDDING me? I called you twice, AND texted you. It was an EMERGENCY, Jackson. Where the hell have you been?!" She yelled, striding over to stand in front of him. He stayed silent, looking at the floor with a kind of desperate stupidity. Her rant continued. "Did you know? Were you aware of how much of a PIG this guy is? Were you in on his stupid little BET?"

Jackson was genuinely confused. Still, he said nothing.

"SAY something, Jackson!" Ramona cried desperately.

Finally, he opened his mouth. "I'm sorry...what happened?" He said, still looking at the floor.

She was so angry, she just snapped at him. "Oh, like you don't know!"

"I don't. I really don't."

"Your FRIEND groped me. And had a bet going with all your football buddies about whether or not he could fuck me. THAT is what happened."

For the first time in a long time, he looked straight at her, rage slowly taking him over. There were rings around his eyes, as if he hadn't been sleeping. It seemed he'd been going through that a lot lately.

"Are you serious?" He whispered darkly, standing up.

"You think I would JOKE about something like this?"

"Of course not, I just...I don't...I don't know what to say. I mean..." Jackson ran his fingers through his hair, something he'd been doing quite a lot. His eyes returned to the floor as he started pacing. "I'm going to kill him."

"Oh please! You're not going to do anything. You don't care about me enough to do anything." All of Ramona's pent up frustration was steadily seeping out. She was seething, and she couldn't control it. She'd left it inside a little too long, and now it was all coming out into the open.

He stopped pacing. "What are you saying, of course I care-"

"If you cared, then where the hell have you been?" Ramona yelled again.

"I was right here, the whole time! You should've said it was an emergency in your text, I would've come and gotten you."

"That's not what I'm talking about, and you know it! A few months ago, you would have answered on the first ring, like Mo did. I wouldn't have HAD to text you. A few months ago, you would've shown up, and beaten the guy to a pulp. Or at least tried. You used to go nuts if someone even said something to me in a tone you didn't like." Tears were threatening to leak out. She fought them back, and her voice broke as she whispered, "Where have you been?"

He had his back turned to her, but made no effort to move. He sighed loudly.

"I'm sorry. I've just been going through some...things." Ramona waited for him to continue, but he didn't.

"Is that all you're going to say? That's a really lame excuse, Jax. Do you have any idea the kind of pain you've been putting me through? For me to wake up one day, and suddenly have one best friend instead of two?" He attempted to speak, but once again she cut him off. "I'm supposed to be your BEST friend, Jackson. We're supposed to be there for each other, it's not supposed to be one way. How come you can't talk to me, but you can talk so freely with what-her-face...Stacey? That blonde bimbo from gym? You had a full blown conversation with her. I SAW you. Why can't you just talk to me?"

"You wouldn't understand, Ramona."

"You haven't given me a chance to! If you want us to have any kind of friendship here, you need to open up to me. Let me try to help you. You can't just shove me away. I'm not going to wait around forever for you to get over yourself." She snapped harshly. A full three or four minutes passed, and neither spoke. Ramona couldn't take the tension anymore. She turned on her heels and stomped back toward the door.

Pausing in the doorway, she didn't bother to turn around as she said, "This is it, Jax. I'm done. I can't do this anymore, it's too stressful. I...just can't." The tears finally started pouring down, and she left the room, slamming the door behind her. She then sank to her knees against it, and let the tears keep coming. From behind the door, she heard Jackson let out a loud, frustrated groan.

A thunderous bang came from his side of the door, as did a simultaneous, "FUCK...me." From the sound of it, he had kicked his desk, because several books, or notepads could be heard falling on the floor shortly after.

Ramona stood up, took a deep breath, and re-entered the room. She felt her anger dissipate at the sight before her. Jackson was leaning against his desk, head in his hands. He was breathing heavy, and the internal struggle was obvious. She made her way across the room to stand right in front of him. She forced calm into her voice, and began to speak in a much softer tone.

"Jackson...please. Whatever this is, whatever is going on with you...I WANT to help. I want to be there for you, if you'll just let me. Maybe you're right, maybe I won't understand. But at the very least, I can be here for you. You owe it to me to let me try. I need- Oh for the love of God, would you at least LOOK at me!?" She cried. He gasped as she grabbed his wrists, pulling his hands off of his face. "Please?" She whimpered.

Jackson took a deep breath, and looked up. Their faces were inches apart, and the way he was looking at her...it was intense. For some odd reason, it made her stomach flutter. She shoved those feelings aside the best she could, and gave him a pleading look. For a moment, he just stood there, looking deeply into her eyes, and breathing heavily. Neither one could look away.

Ramona was opening her mouth to speak when it happened. Out of nowhere, Jackson's hands were in her hair, and he was kissing her. Hard. Ramona gasped against his lips, and she froze. This kiss only lasted a few seconds, but the millions of emotions she felt in those few seconds was almost overwhelming. It was nothing like the kisses with Jeremy. Or Popko even. Her lips were on fire, as was the rest of her body. There wasn't a lot of time to process, or react. She was just standing there, still as a statue. Just as she was about to close her eyes, and kiss him back, he pulled away. He had a horrified expression on his face.

"Oh my God...I'm so sorry, Ramona. I shouldn't have done that." He began to pace again, and continuously ran his fingers through his hair as he kept talking. "I'm such an idiot. This is _exactly_ what I've been trying _not_ to do. What the fuck was I thinking?"

"Jackson.." Ramona finally whispered. He kept ranting, and pacing. "Jackson." She said a little louder. Still, he kept on. "Jackson!" She yelled. "Shut...up." Mid-word, he stopped talking.

"Do that again." She whispered after a moment, closing the space in between them once more so she was eye level with his chest.

"I-what?" He said, completely taken aback.

She gulped, and stared straight into his eyes. "I want you...to kiss me again." She whispered, slowly sliding her hands up to gently cling to the collar of his hoodie.

A few more moments passed, as he tried to control his breathing. He grazed her neck as he placed his hand on the side of it and pulled her towards him, causing her to shiver. These chills...were _good_. Leaning slowly, their eyes remained locked on each other's until their lips touched, then they fluttered closed. He sighed shakily into her lips, as she kissed him back. Her hands made their way to the back of his neck, as his trailed down her back to rest on her small waist.

Ramona had never felt more alive. There was a lot of thinking she needed to do, and sure, she was very confused. But not about this. She couldn't or just didn't _want_ to stop. There was a sudden, uncontrollable hunger inside of her. It was that same hunger that caused her to run her tongue along his lower lip. He moaned softly into her mouth, and suddenly, she was moving backwards. She kept moving backwards until she was resting against what felt like his desk. They kept kissing, their tongues now fighting lovingly with each other. Ramona was deeply caught up in the moment. She didn't know what caused her to do it, as she had never gotten to this point with a guy before, but she felt a sudden urge to bite his lip. Doing so earned her another admittedly very sexy noise from Jackson. His hands glided down her sides to grasp her thighs. Next thing she knew, she was being lifted onto his desk.

His hands returned to a respectful position on her waist, and she began to tangle her hands in his hair. She knew he was being careful not to push too far, as neither of them had done anything more than what they were doing now, and especially not with each other. He was holding onto her tightly, but keeping his distance south of the border. It was sweet, but she honestly didn't want sweet in that moment. She moved her hands down to the front of his hoodie, and pulled him against her before returning them to his hair. Jackson moaned, and pulled back to rest his forehead against hers, eyes still closed, and hands wrapped tightly around her. He was shaking, and she could feel his heart pounding. Hers was pounding just as hard. Her eyes opened slowly, and she just looked at him as the two of them caught their breath.

"What is this?" She breathed against his face. His eyes flew open. They looked into each other's eyes a while, still struggling to catch their breath. Just as he was getting ready to answer, a voice echoed loudly from the hallway, calling Jackson's name. He reluctantly released his hold on her, and jumped backwards several feet. A look of horror overtook him, and he plopped onto his ottoman, quickly placing a pillow over his lap, his cheeks tinged with red.

Ramona hurriedly slid off the desk, trying, and probably failing to not look guilty. Moments later, Max walked into the room.

"Guys, what is with all the yelling? Are you aware that it is MIDNIGHT? I need my beauty sleep, and it was supposed to be easier to come by living with Tommy. But apparently, it ISN'T." He placed his hand on his hips in a sassy fashion, and looked between the pair, awaiting an answer. When neither of them said anything, he huffed impatiently. "Fine. _Don't_ apologize. It's all good. I'm sure whatever you're bickering about_ AT TWELVE O'CLOCK AT NIGHT_ can't possibly wait til morning."

Ramona's brain was finally beginning to function again, and she said, "Technically...it is morning." Jackson snickered, but Max didn't find it very funny.

He narrowed his eyes, and focused in on her. "How..._rude_." He snapped, and then he turned and left the room without another word or backwards glance. "Keep it DOWN." They heard after a minute, and then he closed his own bedroom door. He probably wanted to slam it, but Tommy was in there sleeping.

Minutes, hours...they couldn't tell how much time had passed as they both remained in a state of disbelief. His...problem had obviously resolved itself because he'd moved the pillow, and they'd both finally caught their breath. They kept a reasonable distance from each other, however.

She was the first to speak. "Jackson...I don't know. I don't know what, or how...or why. I'm...pretty speechless. It's been quite a rough night for me, and I'm very confused." A visible sadness washed over him. Before he could reply, she quickly reassured him. "I don't mean to say that I didn't enjoy every second of that." Her cheeks reddened. "I definitely did, I just...I think we both need to get some sleep, and reevaluate tomorrow."

"You're right. Absolutely right." He agreed, getting to his feet.

"And until we figure this out, we probably shouldn't get too close to each other." She panicked, assuming he was coming to kiss her again. It wasn't that she didn't want him to, she just didn't want to lose herself in him like she had before. At least not until she figured out how she felt about him, and how he really felt about her.

He stopped in his tracks, a pained look on his face. He knew she was right, but he didn't have to like it. Sighing, he nodded his head. "Good night, Gibbler. I'll see you in the morning."

"Good night, Jax." Ramona turned and slowly made her way to her own room. Stopping in the doorway, she turned back to look at him. He was leaning against the side of his door, watching her with a smile on his face. She smiled back at him, and then closed her own door.

A/N: There you have it, folks! You can kinda put two and two together, and figure out why Jackson's been such an ass. The whole forbidden romance thing? Ramona and Jackson are going to take that very seriously in the coming chapters, and it's going to be fun! Although, spoiler, it's not as big a deal as they believe it to be. :P That's all! Chapter 5 is in the works, so be patient. Also, REVIEW PWEASE! I know I'm not a super great writer, but critiques help me to improve, and critiques come with REVIEWS! :D


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